Democratic and Independent senators are urging OpenAI to provide the government with pre-deployment access to its future ChatGPT models. The request, outlined in a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, emphasizes safety concerns and the company’s collaboration with national security agencies. The senators asked if OpenAI would commit to allowing U.S. government agencies to test and review its next foundation model before it is publicly deployed.
The letter, signed by senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Angus King (I-ME), includes questions about OpenAI’s safety policies, employee practices, and post-release monitoring. The senators highlighted OpenAI’s existing partnership with the U.S. government on developing cybersecurity tools and raised concerns about penalizing employees who report safety issues.
Sen. Mark Warner has previously pressured Big Tech to address “Russia-linked” content, and Sen. Ben Ray Luján co-sponsored 2021 legislation targeting tech companies that amplify health misinformation. The senators’ push for pre-access to AI models underscores ongoing debates about government oversight, technology regulation, and potential censorship implications. This request reflects a broader concern about the balance between innovation and safety in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
